Johnny Miller's Five Keys to Becoming an Elite Ball Striker

By Staff Writer

September 15, 2026

2 min read

LoopGolf

Key takeaways

Johnny Miller won 18 times, including two majors, from 1971 to 1976.
His five ball-striking keys, published in a 1976 issue of GOLF Magazine, run from takeaway to downswing to release.
Miller cocked his wrists early in the backswing rather than late.
He started his downswing with the left knee pulling toward the target.
Miller said the moves must be practiced in sequence, not in isolation.

Johnny Miller won 18 times, including two majors, between 1971 and 1976, and his final-round 63 at Oakmont in the 1973 U.S. Open remains one of the best rounds in major championship history. In a 1976 issue of GOLF Magazine, Miller laid out five moves he relied on to strike the ball as well as anyone in the game.

What is the first move in Miller's ball-striking sequence?

Miller started everything with a one-piece takeaway, moving the club, arms and left side away from the ball together. That gets the left side working against a right leg that stays planted in the position set at address, so a golfer doesn't have to think about the leg again until the downswing.

Why does Miller recommend setting the wrists early?

Miller cocked his wrists early in the backswing rather than late, while the club was still in front of his body and moving slowly. He argued an early set was both more natural and easier to control, and that the angle in the left wrist had to stay undisturbed to keep the clubface square.

How did Miller use his right arm in the backswing?

Winding up the right arm and wrist was, in Miller's view, essential to any athletic golf swing. He set his right hand so the shaft pointed over the tip of his right shoulder, a checkpoint he used to keep the club swinging on the correct plane.

What starts Miller's downswing?

The knees. Miller pulled his left knee toward the target first, which shifted his weight forward, cleared his hips and began uncoiling his left side. That pulling action carried his still-cocked right arm down into the hitting area, while the right knee added power by driving through the clearing action.

Miller insisted the right hand and arm have to hit, and hit hard — but only after the left side pulls down first.

Only then, Miller said, should a golfer release the angles in the right arm and wrist as hard as they like. He considered an inactive or unreleased right side one of the most common faults in golf, but warned against working on the five moves out of order: address, takeaway, wrist set and downswing sequencing all build on one another.

Frequently asked questions

What tips did Johnny Miller give for ball striking?

Miller's five keys covered the takeaway, an early wrist set, winding up the right arm in the backswing, starting the downswing with the knees, and releasing the right hand and arm through impact.

Why did Johnny Miller cock his wrists early?

He found it more natural and easier to control, since the club moves slowly early in the backswing and stays in front of the body, making it simpler to keep the clubface square.